Dodgers at Pirates
The Los Angeles Dodgers aim to move over .500 for the first time since they were 11-10 when they play the second of a three-game series at the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday. Five pitchers combined to scatter seven hits and three players went deep in the Dodgers' 5-0 victory to begin the series, their 14th win in the last 18 games.
The surge includes eight consecutive road wins for Los Angeles (30-30), which is 7-1 against the Pirates since the start of last year. The Dodgers will give the ball Wednesday to promising prospect Caleb Ferguson for his major-league debut after just 47 innings above Single-A ball. "I think I'm ready," Ferguson told reporters Tuesday. "But the game is going to tell me if I'm ready or not." Pittsburgh, which has lost three in a row and 13 of 17 to fall to .500 for the first time, counters with Trevor Williams.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Caleb Ferguson (NR) vs. Pirates RH Trevor Williams (5-3, 3.84 ERA)
Ferguson was 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA in eight starts for Double-A Tulsa before making a pair of starts at Triple-A Oklahoma City prior to his call-up. He allowed two earned runs and six hits in eight innings over those two outings. The 21-year-old, who was a 38th-round selection in 2014, has 271 strikeouts in 250 1/3 innings in his career in the minors.
Williams went 5-2 with a 2.72 ERA through his first nine starts but he's hit a snag of late, going 0-1 with a 7.80 mark over his last three outings. He went three straight starts without issuing a walk before handing out two and allowing nine hits across five rocky frames at St. Louis on Thursday. The 26-year-old is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in two career starts against the Dodgers.
WALK-OFFS
1. Dodgers RF Yasiel Puig has all seven of his home runs over his last 19 games.
2. Pirates 1B Josh Bell is hitless in 13 at-bats over his last four contests.
3. Los Angeles 3B Justin Turner (wrist) was given Tuesday off and is day-to-day.